Nick Saban does not lose football games very often, but when he does, it inspires a lot of questionable takes. His latest loss, a surprising 44-16 defeat to Clemson in the national title game, inspired one of the crazier takes you will hear all year.

It came from Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd, who compared Saban’s program at Alabama to Scientology while making that argument that Saban’s success is a product of great recruiting and not great coaching.

Cowherd has offered some pretty bad takes over the years, but this one might be at the top of the list. Let’s break it down point-by-point…

“College sports is all about recruiting. Nick Saban’s the best recruiter. Nick Saban will tell you ‘I’m the best recruiter.'”

No, Saban would not tell you that. Saban won’t tell you anything, in fact.

“NFL’s not about recruiting. NFL’s about coaching.”

Well, yeah, since NFL coaches don’t really recruit. But if by “recruiting,” Cowherd really means “personnel,” then he is wrong. Personnel is just as important as coaching — and maybe even more so — as Bill Belichick will actually tell you.

And here’s Colin Cowherd explaining that even at the NFL level, “recruiting” matters…

It’s almost as if Cowherd changes his argument to suit whatever nonsensical take he’s cooked up.

Back to the TAKE…

“Once you took away the recruiting advantage for Nick Saban in the NFL: Fired.”

One problem with that argument: Saban wasn’t actually fired. He left the Dolphins for the Alabama job after repeatedly telling the Miami media he wasn’t interested in leaving. It was a pretty big deal at the time.

Back to Cowherd…

It’s hard to think of a college coach who is a great recruiter who doesn’t win.

Is it really? I can name a few off the top of my head. Butch Jones had no problem recruiting at Tennessee and did not win. The same can be said of Lane Kiffin at USC. Or Ron Zook at Illinois. The list goes on.

Here’s where Cowherd’s take really falls off the rails…

Here’s the other thing: Nobody wants to work with Saban long-term. Kirby Smart is about it. Most coaches go to Saban — it’s Saban-tology. It’s like Scientology. It’s privacy is demanded, verbal abuse is understood and when you leave, it’s like escaping. You get the hell out of Alabama and go make your money elsewhere.

Alabama has lost several notable assistants during Saban’s tenure, but almost all of those assistants have left for more lucrative positions. Kirby Smart took the head coaching job at Georgia. Lane Kiffin also left for a head coaching job. Same for Mike Locksley. And Jeremy Pruitt. And Derek Dooley. And Jim McElwain. Those coaches aren’t “escaping” Saban; they’re taking better jobs, as many of Belichick’s assistants have done over the years.

Speaking of which…

“Guys stay with Belichick. Guys come back for Belichick. Josh McDaniels has turned down coaching jobs to stay with Belichick. Coaches have left Belichick [and] come back to Belichick. Belichick does not wear out coordinators. They wait and wait and wait until they get a great job. And if it doesn’t work out, they often want to come back.”

Fun fact: Belichick has had eight assistants leave to become head coaches. Only one has ever come back to coach under him: Josh McDaniels. Saban has had nine assistants leave for head coaching jobs. One currently works under Saban at Alabama (Bobby Williams), one is coaching in the NFL (Dooley) and the rest are still in head coaching positions.

Cowherd continued…

Saban’s never proven he can coach in the NFL. He’s proven he can recruit in college.

Sure, Saban never won anything of note during his two years as an NFL head coach, but to say he’s “never proven he can coach in the NFL” is flat-out ignorant. Saban is one of the very best defensive minds in all of football, regardless of level. And he very much proved that during his time in Miami. In 2005, he led the Dolphins to a 9-7 record with Gus Frerotte at quarterback. The next year, his defense finished fourth in yards allowed and fifth in points allowed, but, due to the issues at quarterback, Miami went 6-10. Saban finished his NFL career with a 15-17 record. Not great, but better than Belichick’s 13-19 record over his first two years as a head coach.

Belichick eventually ended up with Tom Brady, who helped him to become the greatest coach in NFL history. Saban never got his quarterback — though he maintains the Dolphins tried to sign Drew Brees — and wisely fled for Alabama, where he has used a combination of brilliant coaching and recruiting to build a dynasty.

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